1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in general, relates to modular furniture and, more particularly, to a system for assembling modular furniture.
Modular furniture is well-known. The benefits are many. Modular furniture can be sold and shipped in a compact, unassembled form and assembled by the end-user, or it can also be assembled by skilled personnel and sold after assembly. A modular design provides the important advantage of being able to ship furniture in a far more compact manner than is possible with assembled furniture.
Another significant advantage of modular furniture is that various component parts can be used with variations in furniture design. This benefit applies to certain of the wood (or other material) structural members that are used and also to the component parts that are used to secure the wood (or other material) members together.
However, three general disadvantages remain for existing modular furniture designs. A first concern is maximizing strength. Certain modular furniture designs, while generally functional, exhibit weakness in the areas where structural members are fastened together. There is a need to improve the strength of the assembled furniture items.
A second concern is that most modular designs are difficult to assemble. Many end-users become confused. Complicated screw assemblies are inserted into specially drilled or router-cut openings in the structural members that baffle many people who are trying to assemble the furniture items. Much reading is required. Additionally, many component parts appear similar but are not interchangeable. There is also a need to improve clarity and ease when assembling modular furniture items.
A related additional need is to avoid having to drill or router openings at the junction points of the structural members that weaken the structural members.
A third significant area for improvement relates to appearance. The appearance of most modular furniture items instantly reveals its origins as being modular in nature. A certain lack of quality is associated with the modular, assembly line appearance common with most types of modular furniture items. There is a need to provide modular furniture that appears as if it was custom crafted. To this end artfully designed functional mounting hardware that is visually exposed, rather than hidden from view as is the teaching of prior art modular furniture designs, can be used to improve the appearance of modular furniture.
There are other long-standing needs that appertain to modular furniture designs. For example, it is desirable to secure the ends of multiple structural pieces (i.e., more than two structural members) together at one general area or point. Prior art designs struggle in both appearance and strength when more than two structural members are fastened together at one location.
Accordingly, there exists today a need for a system for assembling modular furniture that helps to ameliorate the above-mentioned problems and difficulties as well as ameliorate those additional problems and difficulties as may be recited in the “OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION” or discussed elsewhere in the specification or which may otherwise exist or occur and that are not specifically mentioned herein.
As various embodiments of the instant invention help provide a more elegant solution to the various problems and difficulties as mentioned herein, or which may otherwise exist or occur and are not specifically mentioned herein, and by a showing that a similar benefit is not available by mere reliance upon the teachings of relevant prior art, the instant invention attests to its novelty. Therefore, by helping to provide a more elegant solution to various needs, some of which may be long-standing in nature, the instant invention further attests that the elements thereof, in combination as claimed, cannot be obvious in light of the teachings of the prior art to a person of ordinary skill and creativity.
Clearly, an improved system for assembling modular furniture would be useful and desirable.
2. Description of Prior Art
Modular furniture is, in general, known. For example, the following patent documents describe various types of these devices, some of which may have some degree of relevance to the invention. Other patent documents listed below may not have any significant relevance to the invention. The inclusion of these patent documents is not an admission that their teachings anticipate any aspect of the invention. Rather, their inclusion is intended to present a broad and diversified understanding regarding the current state of the art appertaining to either the field of the invention or possibly to other related or even distal fields of invention.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0136591 to Callahan, that published on Sep. 26, 2002;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,459 to Oakley, that issued on Aug. 9, 2005;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,662 to Röllin et al., that issued on Nov. 11, 1997;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,708 to Johnson, that issued on Mar. 8, 1994;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,299 to Kvols, that issued on May 26, 1992;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,676,040 to Monaghan et al., that issued on Jun. 30, 1987;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,084 to Goose, that issued on May 31, 1977;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,129 to Sykes, that issued on May 3, 1977;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,800 to Cassel, that issued on Aug. 31, 1976;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,882 to Mello, that issued on Jul. 13, 1976;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,354 to Torres-Pena, that issued on Sep. 10, 1994;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,091 to Albrizzi, that issued on Feb. 12, 1974;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,175 to Zimmer, that issued on Dec. 11, 1973;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,885 to Ciancimino, that issued on Jul. 24, 1973;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,493 to Goose, that issued on Jul. 13, 1971;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,560 to Gasner et al., that issued on Aug. 25, 1970;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,519 to Chiu, that issued on Dec. 23, 1969;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,440 to Courtwright, that issued on Dec. 1, 1964;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,741 to MacCormack, that issued on Nov. 14, 1961;
U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,170 to Best, that issued on Nov. 29, 1960;
U.S. Pat. No. 1,441,559 to Burhen, that issued on Jan. 9, 1923;
U.S. Pat. No. 0,660,196 to Myers, that issued Oct. 23, 1900; and
U.S. Pat. No. 154,953 to Kelley, that issued on Sep. 15, 1874.
While the structural arrangements of the above described devices may, at first appearance, have similarities with the present invention, they differ in material respects. These differences, which will be described in more detail hereinafter, are essential for the effective use of the invention and which admit of the advantages that are not available with the prior devices.